Thoughts from our Ministerial Intern
By Elizabeth Foster, April 28, 2023
As we near the end of the church year, many Unitarian Universalists across the country (and in the Philippines!) are making preparations for General Assembly. One of the most important lessons I learned about congregational polity in seminary is that it was designed to involve congregations working together in a covenantal relationship (much as we are working toward in the Five Point Cluster!). Coming together to set priorities and govern our Association is the heart of GA. Many of you know that I am on the Governing Board of EqUUal Access, the disability identity organization associated with the UUA, and in that capacity, I’ll serve as one of the leads for the GA Disability Caucus. In addition to formal business, GA is where many people first learn about EqUUal Access, or other UU identity organizations like BLUU, DRUUM, and YARN, and connect with important projects like the UU Service Committee. And as our Board President Kitty has often said of her GA experience, it’s energizing to be in a room with so many other UUs at once!
The upcoming GA will be particularly special (and not only because Rev. Clyde and I will both be participating in on-demand programming). This year, we are, first of all, electing a new President of our Association, as Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Grey finishes her term in office. There is currently only one candidate: Rev. Dr. Sofia Betancourt. Rev. Betancourt has nevertheless been holding campaign events and open house discussions about her candidacy. As the UUA press release puts it, “Rev. Dr. Betancourt is an experienced leader and theologian in Unitarian Universalism, including formerly serving as a professor at Starr King School for the Ministry and as Interim Co-President of the UUA in 2017. She currently serves as Resident Scholar and Special Advisor to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.” If you’d like to learn more about Rev. Betancourt, or attend an upcoming forum, her candidacy website is available here: https://sofiabetancourt.com/.
The second important item of business that will be brought before the delegates at General Assembly this year is the new proposed version of Article II, the section of our bylaws that contains our Principles. We’ve been talking about our current Principles, and about the proposed Article II draft, at various points over the course of this church year, and I know this is something that’s very important to many of us! We’ll be holding another Coffee Hour Conversation about the proposed Article II draft this month, and more information is always available here: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission.
Overall, if you’ve ever considered getting involved with GA, or becoming a delegate for Canton, this might be the year to say yes! Additionally, although anyone is welcome to join Rev. Clyde and myself at GA in person, the pandemic has caused the UUA to become much more creative and inclusive about means of participation. It is now possible to attend entirely virtually, or register as a delegate only, for free. This year, the GA team is launching a new way of engaging with GA for congregations, called a Congregational Watch Party. They haven’t released the specifics just yet, but look for details about a possible watch party at First Parish, coming soon!
Warmly,
Elizabeth